LISTEN to the jam session on Press Pass Music show AGAIN!

The jam session/potluck party to celebrate the KUCI Night at eVocal in Costa Mesa this Saturday was a GREAT success! Four bands, We Are The Pilots, honeypie, Yellow Red Sparks and The New Limb all came into the studio and not only indulged on yummy food but played music/talked about their music. THEN the show ended with a BANG. All 15 musicians from all four bands performed a beautiful rendition of The Beatles' "Hey Jude." The show was epic and a great deal of fun. It's rare to get that many bands in one room and for them all to act like they're BFFs.

To listen or watch the video, please see below. HOPEFULLY we will see you all on Saturday night at eVocal. Show starts at 8 p.m. The cover is $7 and well worth it. Also, the Red Bull ladies will be stopping by.

Love you longtime.

- Ash

DOWNLOAD HERE

Listen here:


AND watch it HERE

*Videos will be up soon!!

Jam session/potluck on Press Pass Music this THURSDAY!!

So this Saturday at eVocal KUCI we'll welcome bands Yellow Red Sparks, We Are The Pilots, honeypie and The New Limb. Since these are all Orange County-based bands with an enormous amount of talent and heart, we're having them all on my show this Thursday. YES, a few musicians from each band will be jamming on my show...then keep listening because all of these bands are going to perform a collaborative cover song!! Here is just a glimpse into what to expect this Thursday. The guys were rehearsing last night. It was such a goooooood time! ALSO, this week kicks off KUCI's fund drive. Call in to donate at 949.824.5824.

Listen at www.kuci.org or turn the FM dial to 88.9 FM or listen on iTunes under public radio.
<3
Ash

Check out this slideshow from the KUCI Night on April 23, 2009

Here is a wonderful slideshow by KUCI DJ Judy Alexander. Enjoy!

<3
Ash

http://www.kuci.org/astudentoflife/slideshows/Yost23April2009/index.html

Mentioned in CSULB's DIG Magazine

Check out this article on the OC Music Awards in Cal State Long Beach's DIG Magazine. I was quoted twice! : )

DIG MAGAZINE

More VIDEOS from the first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater

Here are two more videos of Castledoor and The Shys, who played last Thursday's first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana. More videos can be found at www.youtube.com/presspassmusic

HONEYPIE on the CW Network's "One Tree Hill?"

YES, it is true. Orange County-based band honeypie will have their song "Never Get Enough" on the CW show "One Tree Hill" this Monday at 9 p.m. Even though lead singer Trisha Smith recorded the tracks last year, in the last few months she has pulled together a great band of talented musicians and they played their first show in March for the OC Music Awards showcase. Congrats to honeypie and hopefully we'll hear more songs by them on the CW Network. Now, tune in at 9 p.m. tomorrow (Monday).

BTW honeypie is playing eVocal in Costa Mesa this Saturday w/We Are The Pilots, Yellow Red Sparks and The New Limb. And it's a KUCI Night too! You know what that means! It will definitely be a very good time. Also, all four of these bands are going to be on Press Pass Music this Thursday to celebrate the upcoming show. Expect some jam sessions and even a collaborative cover song? Hmmmm...should be interesting.

<3
Ash

OC Punk Rock Picnic is Saturday!!!

KUCI will have a booth at the OC Punk Rock Picnic tomorrow (Saturday). So come by and say hello! It's an all day event from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

KUCI Night at the Yost recap!!

Well, the first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater looked amazing. The bands sounded great...the theater's lighting was great...the free goodies from Volcom were great...the free Red Bulls were great...the yummy Ben & Jerry's ice cream was great...it was really a fun night. There will be pictures up shortly. Here is an example of the nice set up at the Yost. Each band had a video to play during their set. ALSO, if you missed last night, then you should be upset but don't worry there is aother one coming up on May 28!! The lineup will be revealed shortly.

Here is Moostache starting the night off right!! The band has residency at Detroit Bar for the month of May...that means catch them there every Monday! More videos will be up at www.youtube.com/presspassmusic.



Thank you to The Shys, Castledoor, Death To Anders, The Living Suns and Moostache to making the night so great! KUCI loves you all the longest time. ; )

<3
Ash

First-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater begins TONIGHT!!

Let the party begin!! Tonight kicks off the first of hopefully many more KUCI Nights at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana. KUCI has been given the fourth Thursday of the month to put on a show. The first one is tonight, Thursday, April 23. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the first band goes on at 8:30 p.m. The awesome bands playing include The Shys, The Living Suns, Moostache, Death To Anders and Castledoor. We will have our very own KUCI DJ Jeremy spinning in between sets. Volcom Entertainment and Red Bull will have so free giveaways. Plus there will even be Ben & Jerry's ice cream and some cool stuff from KUCI. It sounds like a blast. Tickets are only $8 and a percentage of the proceeds go to KUCI -- a nonprofit independent station. We go to keep the music alive and going strong.

Hope to see you all there!!!

<3
Ash

THE LIVING SUNS on PPM this Thursday!

To celebrate this Thursday's kick-off of the first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater, The Living Suns will be stopping by Press Pass Music this Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. I can't wait to ask lead singer Bryan about his eyes going to the back of his head whenever he sings...love it! The band is playing the first KUCI Night at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana this Thursday. The show is from 8 p.m. to midnight. The Living Suns will be playing with The Shys, Moostache, Death To Anders and Castledoor. Tickets are only $8 and you can purchase them at https://yosttheater.thundertix.com/events/465/performances.

Tune in this Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. on KUCI 88.9 FM (www.kuci.org)for an interview with The Living Suns, then see them perform with four awesome bands that same night at 8 p.m.

Can't wait!!!

Now here is a taste of The Living Suns...



<3
Ash

COACHELLA, the recap.

Well, I'm finally back home in Orange County after three days of being in the wonderful hot desert of Indio. This was actually my first time staying all three days and how people go every day and party at night confuses the heck out of me. After the first day, my back and feet hurt, I was burnt, deaf and exhausted. I guess I should start preparing myself for next year now. Otherwise, it was of course one of the best three days ever. Hello? I'm surround by music and people who love music.

Lets do a short and sweet quickie about who I saw this weekend and the standouts and let downs. Friday, I had my pal Mr. Albert Ching, music editor for OC Weekly, by my side so we tried to see as many bands as possible...which meant chugging beers before sets and jogging right after to get to the next stage. How I didn't throw up is still a wonder to me. We got stuck in the massive traffic that we didn't make it to Dear and the Headlights but we did make it to We Are Scientics, which was a great way to start the show yet the sound was so loud that I was deaf for almost two hours after. We saw Los Campesinos!, M. Ward, The Black Keys, The Ting Tings, Leonard Cohen, Franz Ferdinand -- one of my favorite live performances for the weekend, Morrissey and Paul McCartney. NOW, we must talk about McCartney, this was epic...this was a must-see...and this was amazing. He performed for almost 3 hours and it seemed like he could go on forever. He played all your Beatles favorites. It was epic.

Second day - Since this was the day a couple of my friends were going, we decided to get a taxi...had some issues getting one and didn't get their until after 5 p.m. I wanted to see Glasvegas (but they canceled) and I saw TV On The Radio, James Morrison ( who sang a nice duet with Joss Stone), Fleet Foxes, M.I.A. and The Killers. Standouts were definitely M.I.A and The Killers. Then, we left The Killers a little early just to get a taxi and guess what? Yeah there were no taxis. I guess it's like impossible to get a taxi in the desert. So we walked four miles in flip flops to my friend's house to get the car. What a dumb move. We couldn't even walk the next day. And our feet were blistered and swollen.

Third day - Finally, The Cure. Who I couldn't wait to see! And who I had to leave early during because my friend was driving me home and we both had work the next day. Yet, I heard the band played for almost three hours and they actually pulled the plug on the band. Like they shut the lights off and cut off power, but the band kept playing. Craziness. So yes there were a lot of surprises this weekend. I also saw the last minute of Friendly Fires...yes I missed them and yes I'm lame. After Friendly Fires was Sebastian Tellier, so my friends and I stuck around for him. Then we caught Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John and Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- always put on a great show. Then my friend and I passed out on the grass for a hour...no idea how we let that happen. We woke up, I felt sick and freezing, drank a red bull, ran over to get front and center for The Cure and stood waiting for the anticipated performance. BTW there were definitely less people on Sunday than any of the other days. The Cure put on an impressive show. I heard the last time they played Coachella, they didn't do so hot but they changed that this year. Yet the whole playing super long, over the time that was scheduled and also playing pretty time consuming songs, made it awkward. I can't believe Coachella pulled the plug on them. It wasn't only the band's faulty but the producer and managers of the event as well.

It was memorable three days alright. I had to take today off to recooperate it was that intense. Now, expect some pics. They should be up soon. Back to resting up for this week. I have The Living Suns on my show this Thursday, then we have the first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater this Thursday too and Saturday I will be at the Punk Rock Picnic all day working the KUCI booth. Oh and I have a school project, hw and a midterm. The vacation is over, now back to reality.

Hope you all lived it up at Coachella. I'd love to hear your stories. Comment or email me at ashleyeliot@yahoo.com.

<3
Ash

THE SHYS on Press Pass Music this week!!!

The good looking gentlemen above are none other than The Shys and they will be on this week's show. The band is playing the first-ever KUCI Night at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana on Thursday, April 23 w/The Living Suns, Castledoor, Death To Anders and Moostache. I will be giving away tickets to the night on my show this week!! Also, tickets are on sale now! Go to www.kuci.org/kucinights to find out more. Woooo hoooo. Should be lots of fun. Call in and ask the guys some questions: 949.824.5824 or 949.UCI.KUCI OR tweet me @presspassmusic.

<3
Ash

Coachella set times are UP!!!

COACHELLA SET TIMES ARE UP!!! Plan out your weekend...I know I need to asap. : ) Enjoy. And if you are going to Coachella, make sure to follow KUCI on twitter @kucinights and find us!

http://www.coachella.com/event/set-times

Listen to Avenue of the Giants on PPM!!

Click here to download the interview with Avenue of the Giants or you can listen below. Enjoy.
<3
Ash

Video of CORY CASE on Press Pass Music

Here is a video of singer-songwriter Cory Case on my show, March 26, 2009. There are more up at www.youtube.com/presspassmusic

I SUGGEST you don't....

Last night, the OCMA crew and I had an interesting experience at The Light Gallery in Costa Mesa. While the lineup, consisting of Parker Macy Blues, Sweet Sweet Things, Dolphin City, The Jakes, Lemon Sun and The New Limb were all great of course, there were a few issues though that "suggest" I don't go back. First off, six bands in one night....is way too chaotic and way too much. Starting a show at 8 p.m. on a Friday that is 18 and over makes it hard to round up people that early. The flyers and promotion for the show had said "suggested" donation, when in fact that $8 suggested donation that they said goes to bands, actually became a mandatory cover charge. When did the word "suggested" and "donation" become the equal of "cover charge?" If I had told everyone that it was a free show, which is what "suggested donation" means, then I actually would have lied to my listeners, as what the venue had did to us. After you paid this cover, which I'm all for donating to the bands but some warning would have been nice so I could have stopped by an ATM, you couldn't even go in and out.

There was no alci for the 21 and over crowd, yet it was an 18 and over night...don't understand why. It should have been all ages. And on top of all that bands played longer than they should have probably because people in charge at the venue weren't keeping track of time, so the show ran 1.5 hours late. The New Limb who had fun with it and dazzled the remaining devoted fans with a couple covers like "Twist and Shout" started to play at midnight. And on top of all of that, the bands pushed through despite the sound at the venue not being so great.

The best part was the great musicians who stuck it out and who entertained the crowd...oh and the bar The Little Night that was next door. Honestly, The Light Gallery was a wannabe of eVocal yet with less class, overly dramatic art on the walls and an awkward vibe. It's sad to see a venue with potential be run carelessly. I'm all about growing the Orange County music scene but how can we do it if you don't provide a good enough outlet for your local musicians?

<3
Ash

New video by The Steelwells!!

So I can't watch this video at work but the song "Boxes" is definitely stuck on my brain and in a good "you're getting me through Friday" kinda way. Here it is...check it out. Love it longtime. : )

AND to see some of my in-studio videos from the last few weeks, go to www.youtube.com/presspassmusic -- Check out Cory Case and Avenue of the Giants.

- Ash

Avenue of the Giants on Press Pass Music this Thursday! AND lots of tickets to give away

The folk/blues band Avenue of the Giants will be on the show this Thursday. They will be stopping by from noon to 1 p.m. to play a live acoustic set. Also, this week's show expect some new music and a recap of the OC Music Awards, which took place on Saturday.


Ticket Giveaways for Thursday's show include:

Travis at the Wiltern Friday, April 10

Bloc Party at Hollywood Palladium on April 15

Black Lips and The Living Suns at Detroit Bar on April 15

Seedless and Marc B. at The Coach House on Saturday, April 18

Tune in to win. Call-in number: 949.UCI.KUCI or 949.824.5824

Should be fun!


ALSO the Coachella ticket winners have been announced and are here: www.kuci.org/coachella
<3
Ash

OCMA awards complete list

I will be going over it on my show this week too.


Enjoy.

<3
Ash

OCMA photo number one w/the buds

Other than the photos of me chasing Dan because he stole my drink at the after party, this is the only photo I have so far and it's with a couple of my best buds, Neda and Eli.

<3
Ash

OC Music Awards Recap!! AND KUCI Night w/Low vs. Diamond and Venus Infers

Well, the OC Music Awards officially went off last night and the crowd seemed very pleased. Congrats to the OCMA team, especially Luke Allen, Ashley Eckenweiler and Michelle Luna for launching a successful awards show. Now, if you want to know who won what, I will give away a few bands who took home awards but the rest you will just have to listen to Press Pass Music this Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. Venus Infers left with three awards and Japanese Motors left with two awards! If you want to hear the rest, listen to my show this Thursday. From noon to 1 p.m. I will have Avenue of the Giants on the program and from 1 to 2 p.m. I will provide you all with an OCMA recap.

AND, tonight for the after...after party head over to Detroit Bar for the KUCI Night w/ Low vs. Diamond and Venus Infers. What a great way to spend your Sunday Funday. Show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10. If you go, please stop by our KUCI table and say hello!



Now, I better go rest up for tonight.
<3
Ash

Local band HOWL is featured in an OC METRO video

Listen to OC band Howl in OC METRO's Marketing Mastermind video. : )

<3
Ash

OC Music Awards FINALLY this Saturday!!

AFTER three months of showcases and many more months of preparing, it's finally time for the big event. The Orange County Music Awards take place at The Grove of Anaheim this Saturday, April 4. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Yes, I am presenting the award for Best New Artist. : P Here is a flyer with all the details. Hope to see you all there!
<3
Ash

Brave Citizens on Press Pass Music this Thursday

Hey all! I'm sleepy...stressed...sick..and thank goodness the OCMAs are Saturday. ; )

On this week's Press Pass Music show, I will have Brave Citizens, who are up for Best New Artist for the 2009 OC Music Awards and playing Bamboozle Left this weekend, live in the studio talking about what the heck is going on with them.





Ticket giveaways this Thursday include:
Two pairs of tickets to the OC Music Awards for this Saturday, April 4.
Two pairs to go to KUCI Night at Detroit Bar with Low vs. Diamond and Venus Infers on April 5.
Two pairs of tickets to see Seedless and Marc B. at The Coach House, April 18.

AND of course expect new music.


I will leave you with a glimpse of what to expect on Thursday.


<3
Ash